Pak yet to punish attackers of religious minorities: US

‘In Pakistan, militants killed more than 500 Shia Muslims in sectarian bloodletting and brutally murdered 80 Christians in a single church bombing last year. The Pakistani government has yet to take adequate steps to bring those responsible to justice,’ secretary of state John Kerry said after releasing the annual congressional report on International Religious Freedom for the year 2013.

At the same time, Kerry praised the people of Pakistan for standing against violence against religious minorities.

‘In Pakistan, following the militant attacks I just mentioned, members of the Muslim community formed human chains around churches to demonstrate solidarity against senseless sectarian violence,’ he said. US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labour, Tom Malinowski, told reporters that in Pakistan, violence targeted at members of religious minorities and human rights defenders underscored the government’s failure to provide adequate security.